Singapore’s SSA Forms Marine Fuels Committee

The Singapore Shipping Association (SSA) is forming a new marine fuels committee in an effort to prepare Singapore’s bunkering sector for the 0.5% global sulphur cap and the rise of LNG as a marine fuel.

“Bunkering has always been a very important segment of our industry, and issues relating to bunker and marine fuels in general have grown increasingly complex,” Esben Poulsson, SSA President, said.

“As such, in the anticipation that owners will take an increasing interest in what their ships consume, we have formed the Marine Fuels Committee to help ensure that our members will be well-prepared for the future. The Committee will be chaired by SSA Councillor, Ms. Caroline Yang,” Poulsson added.

The committee, which will also address operational issues relating to bunkering operations, was formed on the back of a continuous growth of bunker sales in Singapore which reached a record 48.5 million tonnes in 2016.

This has been accompanied by the introduction of new initiatives and techniques, such as the mandatory use of mass flow meters for bunker deliveries at the start of 2017.

SSA said that there has also been increasing interest in the field of marine fuels in general, including the use of alternatives such as LNG. This is due in large part to commercial and regulatory interest in issues such as the pending 0.5% sulphur cap, which will come into force in 2020, and the increasing interest in fuel consumption for ships, and how it might impact their CO2 emissions.